McCartney adds track to silent UK protest vinyl
A silent album protesting proposed changes to UK copyright law will receive a vinyl release featuring a bonus track from Paul McCartney. The Beatles legend contributed a recording of an empty studio to the project, which originally launched with participation from over 1,000 musicians, including Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, and Damon Albarn.
The vinyl edition arrives through The state51 Conspiracy, with all proceeds supporting Help Musicians charity. Organizers created the album to oppose government proposals that would establish an opt-out system allowing artificial intelligence companies to train models on copyrighted material without obtaining licenses or providing compensation to rights holders.
The UK government has since indicated that the opt-out approach is no longer its preferred policy direction following substantial resistance from creative industries. Album organizer Ed Newton-Rex stated the proposed changes would benefit overseas technology corporations while damaging British creative sectors.
